(im)Patiently waiting for my new _______!!!

[BaliMawr]

Caspien, thank you for taking the time.  This makes me feel like a jerk for judging prematurely.  I research the shell out of things, but you are next level!  Light side points to you.

[HesaHeart]

Caspien, thank you for taking the time.  This makes me feel like a jerk for judging prematurely.  I research the shell out of things, but you are next level!  Light side points to you.

During the current world situation it has us all with to much time on our hands and looking for things to do to help us stay busy , frustrations are going to be magnified. It will get better, just stay respectful,we are all in this together

[DOA40]

Caspian, thank you truly for going above and beyond the call of duty to find out things about what is going on currently with US.

When I started noticing those posts and then the whole thing with employee reviews, several of my buttons were ticked heavily with how odd all this stuff I was seeing was.  The fact that you took time, talked with people who work there, and everything else is things that need to be done.  Not all this current complaining that a lot of people are doing.

I mean, when I made my first and second purchased, I expected it to take some time due to massive influx of orders that occurred during the movie release and the specials that they have on.  I was never angry about the time it was taking, as I would rather they make their best quality product than one that is sub-standard.  My third saber (my Emperor's Hand one) I was surprised on because of how fast I got it, but after looking at your post, I now understand why as it is a bit smaller and doesn't need as much of their supplies to make.

I just ordered a Renegade LE and I hold no illusions that I am going to get any later than August or even September, as it is a pretty weighty piece and despite the fact that I only went with Premium Obsidian V4 sound, I did go for a lot of the bells and whistle with it (Flash on Clash, Pointed blade tips, etc.).

Anyway, getting back to what this post was originally about, thank you once again for going through all this effort to find out information.  If I could give you more than one point, I definitely would.

[Darth Rage]

I appreciate the research you put into this, and it does make me feel a little better, but having worked for years in customer service I just can’t understand a couple things.  1. Why do they still have 3-4 weeks lead time listed on their website?  It’s double that if not triple that.  2. Why do they not have someone dedicated to answering customer emails?  And if they do, why does that person still have a job?  If Emory has enough to buy a 2020 Ferrari, then they can hire a team to handle their communications, it’s ridiculous that some people have paid hundreds to thousands of dollars, are not receiving the products in the allotted time and have no way of getting in touch with the company.  

I understand the delay in production, but this is a textbook example of how not to handle your customer service.

Again just my two cents, I’ll now go back to patiently waiting on my Fallen that should arrive sometime before 2022. 🤪


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[Cyclops942]

You had the same idea as me - upgrade that bad boy!  I stuck with the regular Obsidian v4 for my Frankensaber,  but got the charging port and Flash on Clash.  I did not specify the color so that'll be a mystery (Oooooohhh...)  

Well, this Frankensaber is co-owned with my buddy (it took a combined order to qualify for the free Frankensaber), so the Diamond board gave us (nearly) unlimited flexibility in colors and sounds, plus since we are splitting the costs for the upgrade, it was much easier to fit that cost into our respective budgets.

[momaw]

Hi all.  US and saber purchase in general newbie here.  I placed my first order on May 24 for a Lost Grey and Fulcrum.  I am totally fine with the wait - the world is a mess right now and it's good to support these businesses.

My only concern is the difficulty or inability to talk to US.  As a virgin customer I didn't fully understand the options when ordering.  I got the stunt configuration but desperately want to upgrade to include sound and some of the cosmetic options only available with audio blades.  I've sent several emails detailing the upgrades I'd like but silence in response.  I mean hey US I'm trying to give you more money here.

I'm really hoping someone looks at the email and helps me with the upgrade before it is finished and ships.

I've been lurking in this thread for weeks now and finally bit the bullet and joined up.  Looking forward to getting my first sabers.

Cheers all.

[Jedi_Phoenix]

Hi all.  US and saber purchase in general newbie here.  I placed my first order on May 24 for a Lost Grey and Fulcrum.  I am totally fine with the wait - the world is a mess right now and it's good to support these businesses.

My only concern is the difficulty or inability to talk to US.  As a virgin customer I didn't fully understand the options when ordering.  I got the stunt configuration but desperately want to upgrade to include sound and some of the cosmetic options only available with audio blades.  I've sent several emails detailing the upgrades I'd like but silence in response.  I mean hey US I'm trying to give you more money here.

I'm really hoping someone looks at the email and helps me with the upgrade before it is finished and ships.

I've been lurking in this thread for weeks now and finally bit the bullet and joined up.  Looking forward to getting my first sabers.

Cheers all.

The only thing I can suggest, since you've got an honest concern, is to keep trying - maybe once a week or so - and remember to put your order number in the subject heading.  And keep being patient and polite; they're slammed with emails right now.  Many of us have gotten responses to our inquiries, and I'm sure you will too.  Once you get that settled, it's all about the waiting game.

[Caspien]

I appreciate the research you put into this, and it does make me feel a little better, but having worked for years in customer service I just can’t understand a couple things.  1. Why do they still have 3-4 weeks lead time listed on their website?  It’s double that if not triple that.  2. Why do they not have someone dedicated to answering customer emails?  And if they do, why does that person still have a job?  If Emory has enough to buy a 2020 Ferrari, then they can hire a team to handle their communications, it’s ridiculous that some people have paid hundreds to thousands of dollars, are not receiving the products in the allotted time and have no way of getting in touch with the company.  

I understand the delay in production, but this is a textbook example of how not to handle your customer service.

Again just my two cents, I’ll now go back to patiently waiting on my Fallen that should arrive sometime before 2022. 🤪


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh, I absolutely agree on the terrible response and notifications.

As for Emory's car.. not sure that has anything to do with his LLC business.

For all we know, he may have inherited money from a deceased relative, or perhaps it's a lease.. *shrug*

Regardless, someone's personal life purchases should have no bearing on their business.. and in many cases they have to be kept separate, to limit their liability for insurance and/or legal reasons.

*Shrug*

As for customer service, from what I've heard they have several people working csr (if you go back in this thread, pretty much everyone has said their names a few times.. if there's more, no one has indicated during chatting).

Not making excuses for the company (lol, if you read my previous posts, I've been very vocal about my thoughts on their current customer service) just thought I'd share what I was able to gather, in case others are driven crazy by unanswered questions, like I am



~ Casp

[Darth Rage]

Thanks Casp!


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[warguppy]

So.. I've heard back from Customer Service today (giving me my tracking number, which I'd already gotten from the other contact, too

I'll admit.. since this whole thing started.. I've been doing some.. err.. digging, into Ultrasabers... just to see if my initial suspicions on everything were true. (I hate speculating on things.. and never finding out the truth.. it bugs me to no end.. and my wife will tell you, when I have something that bugs me.. I start doing research.. LOTS of it)

See, I feel like a number of the posts that have been made (both here, and on the reddit lightsaber group) felt a little... too forced. (no pun)

So, after doing a LOT of research, and contacting people that I probably shouldn't (personal boundaries are things I struggle with, when it comes to research ) I typed up a ton of info in this post... and then had my wife (my biggest critic) read it... and after her critique, I've decided, perhaps some of it isn't my story to tell... still got it all typed up.. just not sure if/how to post it all.

So, to respect some privacy a bit more than I would have, originally (figure some of the quotes might be able to be traced back, due to the way they're worded) I thought I'd share some information and paraphrased quotes (in my own words):

• The current order fulfillment issues are a combination of things including: supply chain issues, multiple mechanical breakdowns, and a few personal issues that happened within the last couple of months.
• Their social distancing is being taken VERY seriously, due to at least one person that was impacted (severely) by Covid.
• The couple of employees I chatted with, actually are EXTREMELY happy right now, since they have been allowed to learn a trade.
• The lack of paid bathroom breaks are there for a specific reason (after hearing the reason, I understand why).
• There's at least one ex-employee who has been trying to start up his own company, doing the same thing, and he's an ex-employee for a VERY good reason.
• Almost every current employee I was able to chat with, indicated they're happy with their employment and the flexibility they have there. One employee said they were only 'content'. None of the current ones said they were unhappy, angry, or discontent.
• The ordering system does NOT implement a single digit increase for every order, but they have seen a massive influx of orders, recently. (It's still in the thousands) Partly due to specials, May 4th, Rise of Skywalker home release, and of course.. there are a lot of people staying at home, so they have more time to spend on hobbies.
• Specials are planned out, well in advance, and the advertising and such are already pre-paid for... so cancelling the specials and such, ahead of time, are actually not really possible.
• The 'wage' thing, isn't as cut and dry as people make it out to be. Without going too much into it, let me explain it this way: Many food workers are paid minimum wage.. because that's their 'base' payment.. they then get paid tips and gratuities on top of that. So if you look at their how much they're paid per hour, it looks like the establishment that they work at, are cheap. Just as some retail salesmen that sell appliances and the like, aren't paid much as their base wage either.
• Regarding the supply chain issues, Ultrasabers isn't the only company purchasing aluminum rods for manufacturing processes. Supply and demand kicks in, here.. smaller supply in the chain.. greater demand.. costs have gone up... yet, those costs haven't necessarily been passed onto the customers. Whether this remains true, or not, is yet to be seen.
• Lack of parts in the chain, are actually one reason why so many of the extras needed for 'Mystery Boxes' aren't available. Normally Ultrasabers has a rather substantial amount of product coming in, to machine.. but since the supply has gotten smaller, there's less raw parts.
• Current ownership aren't what people have recently made them out to be. Current employees were actually quite upset at some of the ugly comments that were made by the public. It was pointed out, that while the owner might be a bit flashy on social media from time to time, there's a lot they do for others, that no one ever sees... simply because when you do the right thing, you don't brag about it. (specifics were given, but being that I don't know how much of it is public knowledge, I don't feel right sharing it.. needless to say, if it IS true.. I feel like a jerk for ever pushing for my orders... just saying)
  

So... that all said.. my original thoughts still stand... I believe there needs to be more communication from UltraSabers, but I understand a little bit more, as to why there isn't.

An exact quote I was given, from Customer service, was this:

"Unfortunately there isn’t a blanket statement that will help all of [OUR] customers so we’re doing everything we can to work with each individual order and to get all of our orders out as quickly as possible." (bracketed emphasis is mine)


Hopefully, all of the information I've shared, here, is at least a little useful to folks. Now I get to sit here, and anxiously await my shipment to arrive on Sunday (according to Fedex).


~ Casp

Congrats on the shipping info. Frustrating to no end to see someone else who ordered the same thing as me (or 3 of them) after me have theirs on the way while my one still processing. I guess it is just the way of things.

Hope you get three absolutely killer sabers.

[Caspien]

Congrats on the shipping info. Frustrating to no end to see someone else who ordered the same thing as me (or 3 of them) after me have theirs on the way while my one still processing. I guess it is just the way of things.

Hope you get three absolutely killer sabers.

Absolutely understand where you're coming from.. that's how I felt when I started seeing the spring giveaway orders get theirs, with the mystery box included.

Hope they get yours sorted out, soon, too.. and hope you get something awesome



~ Casp

[BaliMawr]

Hi all.  US and saber purchase in general newbie here.  I placed my first order on May 24 for a Lost Grey and Fulcrum.  I am totally fine with the wait - the world is a mess right now and it's good to support these businesses.

Lost grey and Fulcrum?  NICE! 

[DarthRondoudou]

So.. I've heard back from Customer Service today (giving me my tracking number, which I'd already gotten from the other contact, too

[...]
Hopefully, all of the information I've shared, here, is at least a little useful to folks. Now I get to sit here, and anxiously await my shipment to arrive on Sunday (according to Fedex).


~ Casp

Sir, have a point. Sure, you may have digged a bit too deep for some people, but what you said is quite enlightening. Thank you for sharing. And thank you for giving me back the hope that I did the right thing by ordering from them. That particular hope was kinda chopped down by some of the last posts on the forum.
And I think your wife was right. You still conveyed a lot of interesting points and I believe you managed to protect your sources.

Man, Caspien...all that's missing from that is a mic drop.

A point to you for your efforts, good sir. 

I laughed. And you are right. Point to you as well xD

[Caspien]

*chuckling*

So.. as predicted, the last location was "hope, Arkansas"...

And that proved to be a hilarious name... Because the shipment overshot our location, which is a main FedEx hub.... And now it's quite a ways north of here...

So.. "hope".. such irony


~ Casp

[HesaHeart]

I followed my order and its path was anything but logical